Closure means for dispensing container



Dec. 13, 1960 R. w. NERENBERG 2,964,226

cLosURE MEANS FOR DIsPENsING CONTAINER Filed Feb. e; 1957 .ya F1a 10.

IN VEN TOR.

@sf/er it( ifs/vage@ ATTQQNEYS.

CLOSURE MEANS FOR DISPENSING CONTAINER Robert W. Nerenberg, Middletown, hio, assigner to Bergstein Packaging Trust, a trust composed of Robert M. Bergstein and Frank D. Bergstein, as trustees Filed Feb. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 636,514

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) My invention relates to dispensing containers and more particularly to an improved closure means for a paperboard container of the type having a dispensing opening therein covered by a liftable flap member.

In copending application Serial No. 476,484, now Patent No. 2,791,364, of which I am a co-inventor, there is disclosed a dispensing container in which the top closure is provided with a iirst closure flap having a pouring opening formed therein and a second closure ap juxtaposed to the first flap, the second flap having a liftable part overlying the pouring opening, the arrangement being such that the liftable part may be readily raised to expose the pouring opening and just as readily reclosed when it is desired to reseal the container. As taught in the said copending application, the entire end closure may be proofed internally by means of a casting of sealing substance formed in situ across the container end, as taught in Bergstein Patent 2,549,048. As taught therein, the interior casting of sealing substance covers the end closure aps and extends through the pouring opening to contact and bond to the liftable flap part. Upon solidication of the sealing substance, the lifting of the flap serves to fracture the casting along a line substantially determined by the periphery of the pouring opening, thereby providing a plug-like element bonded to the under surface of the liftable part, the plug-like element being re-insertable in the pouring opening. The instant invention is specifically directed to improvements in closure means of the character just described.

A principal object of my invention is to provide an improved closure means incorporating a plug the base of which is formed from a paperboard disc initially cut from the underlying closure ap and defining the pouring opening therein.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a closure means incorporating a paperboard disc adhered to the liftable iiap part throughout less than its entire area, with the ap part hinged with respect to the said disc so that the initial lifting force of the Hap part may be exerted at substantially right angles to the plane of the disc.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a reclosable plub construction which effects a savings in the amount of sealing material employed and at the same time provides a neat and well defined plug upon the breaking away of the casting about the periphery of the pouring opening.

The foregoing, as well as other objects of my invention which will appear hereinafter or which will be apparent to the skilled worker in the art upon reading these specifications, accomplish by that construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a framentary plan view of a container blank formed in accordance -with my invention.

2,4,226 Patented Dec. 13, 1960 Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan View showing the blank of Figure 1 in flat-folded condition.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 and illustrating the manner in which the paperboard disc is sealed to the flap part.

Figure 4a is a sectional View similar to Figure 4 but showing the parts in expanded relation.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the formation of the end closure.

Figure 6 is a framentary perspective similar to Figure 5 but with the parts in assembled condition.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the manner in which an interior end casting of sealing substance is applied to the end closure.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 7 but With the container top in upright position.

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 8 but with the liftable iiap part and closure plug in raised position.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10- 10 of Figure 4.

Figure 1l is a framentary perspective view similar to Figure 6.

Referring first to Figure l of the drawings, I have therein illustrated a container blank having body walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 in articulation in the order named, the body wall 4 being provided with a longitudinal glue flap 5 by means of which the body walls may be joined together in tubular form, as will be readily understood'. It will also be understood that the body walls will carry suitable end closure aps at their lower ends by means of which a bottom closure may be formed. The precise nature of these flaps does not constitute a limitation on my invention, although in a preferred embodiment they will comprise seal end flaps such as those shown in the aforementioned copending application.

At its upper end the body wall l is provided With a full width outermost closure ap 6 having a liftable ap part 7 formed therein hingedly connected to the ap 6 along the line of fold 8 which is diagonally disposed with respect to the side edges of the closure flap. In addition, the liftable ilap part is provided with projecting edges or flanges 9 and 10 extending beyond the correponding side edges of the closure flap, and the liftable part is divided by the score line 11 into an inner or base part 12 and an outer or tab part 13.

At their upper ends the body walls 2, 3 and 4 are provided with integral flange forming extensions 14, 15 and 16 which, as will be explained more fully hereinafter, are adapted to be folded outwardly with respect to the body Walls and sealed in face-to-face relation to the closure aps. A substantially full width closure flap 17 is hingedly connected to the side edge of closure flap 6 along the score line 18 and separated from the flange forming extension 14 by means of a line of cut 19. A pouring opening 20 is formed in the closure flap 17 adjacent the outermost corner thereof. However, as opposed to the practice of the aforesaid copending application and the said Bergstein patent, the disc 21 of paperboard dened by the pouring opening is not scrappedout but rather is retained in place by means of nicks 22.

Since the containers are generally intended to dispense liquid, the interior surfaces of the blank are preferably coated with a vinyl or other similar coating, such as polyethylene, which will serve to proof the walls. Such a coating is indicated at 23 in Figure 2. In addition to prong the board from which the container is formed,

The blank will be tubed by infolding` the body walls 1 and 4 along their lines of articulation to the intermediate body walls 2 and 3, respectively, thereby juxtaposing the glue flap 5 to the free side edge of body wall 1 and bringing the structure to the conditionv illustrated` in Figure 3,V it being understood that adhesivev 24 willbe first applied to the glue ap 5 prior to the infolding of Vthe parts. Where the blank is coated, the liap 5 may be heat sealed to body wall 1. The infolding of the body wall 1 will also serve to juxtapose the full width flaps 6 and 17, and these aps will also be secured together, as by adhesive area 25, the adhesive being confined to the body of the liap 6 so as to. maintain the liftable ap part 7 free from adhesive' engagement with the underlying portions of fiap`11-7. Alternatively, the parts maybe heat sealed together by reason of the coating 23, in which event the heat and -pressure applying means willl be configured to prevent the application of heat and pressure to the liftable flap part.

While the liftable iiap part is not secured to the underlying flap, the base 12 of the tiappart is secured to the portion of the disc 21 contacted thereby. Thus, a sealingV instrumentality in the form of heated pressure rods 26' and 26a (Figure 4)l will be brought to bear against the base of the liftable flap part and the disc, the rods, as seen in Figure l0, having a cross-section conforming to the segment `of the disc 21 contacted by the base part 12 of the liftable flaps with the ats 27 of the rods coinciding substantially with the score line 11 extending through the liftable flap and defining the outermost edge ofthe base part 12. Here again, if desired, adhesive 2S may be applied either to the segment of the disc 21 contactedl by the base part 12 of the liftable ap or to the liftable flap itself. In either event, the end result will be the attachment of the flap to the disc so that upon lifting of the flap part, the disc will be raised, as illustrated in Figure 4a, the disc breaking away from the pouring openingZO at the nicks 22. Normally, however, the disc will not be broken away until after the carton structure has beenerected and sealed.

The container will be subsequently erected and sealed across its bottom end and the upper ends of the body walls deliected inwardly, as at 29, with the-iiange forming extensions 14, and 16 folded outwardly, thereby bringingl the parts to the condition illustrated in Figure 4. The manner in which; these operations are performed is fully set forth in the aforementioned copending application and ydoes n ot constitute a limitation on the instant invention. Adhesive 30 (unless the board is heat sealable) is then applied to the outturned extensions, whereupon the juxtaposed closure flaps 6 and 17 are infolded and adhesively secured` tothe extensions, thereby bringing-the structure to the condition illustrated in Figure 6, which is the erected condition of the container structure. The structure may be used in this condition for the packaging of granular and powdered materials. It will be understood that the projecting edgesY or flanges 9 and 10 will-'be crimped downwardly about the extensions 15. and

V16-to rmly secure the liftable liap part in closed-condition. At the time ofA use, the user simply has to unfold thecrimped extensions and'lift the outerflap part 13 upwardly, the ap part folding about the score lines 11. Upwardly pulling movement on the outer part 13 will Vcausethe disc 21 to be broken away fromthe pouring ,the aforementioned Bergstein-Patent 2,549,048 or in the ways vdisclosed in myaforementioned' copendingY application Serial No., 476,484. Subsequentto Athe.formation of the end castings, the container may be uprighted and filled, again in any of the ways disclosed in the aforementioned patent and application. The opening of the container will be as before, that is, the outer flap 13 will be first raised, in the manner illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 8, whereupon upwardly directed pull on the front part will result in the lifting of the base part and the disc 21 secured. thereto. This results in a plug-like portion 32 breaking away fro-m the casting 31 about the periphery of the pouring opening, as will be clearly apparent from Figure 9. This plug may be readily reinserted into the opening so formed to reseal the container.

The provision of the disc or plug-part 21 affords a number of advantages:

(l) It effects an economy in that it permits a lesser amount of end casting materials to be used. In accordance with prior practices, the sealing material entered and filled the well defined by the pouring opening which is now lled by the disc.

(2) Thedisc itself requires no'additionalrnaterial since it is formed from material which is normally scrappedout. Additionally, no additionalv fabricating operations are required in that the disc is secured to the liftable flap as an incident of theV juxtaposing and securing together of the closure flaps themselves. Thus, irrespective of whether an end casting is. employed, the disc itself serves as a plug withoutthe usual deformation of the iiap part of the use of a separate plug-forming member, as is characteristic of the prior art.

(3) The intermediate hinge in the liftable ap which permits the outer tiap part to be raised relative to the disc and plug enables the plug to be withdrawn by a force acting at substantially right angles to the plane of the plug, thereby causing it to break away clean and also preventing possible peeling apart at the interface between the disc and the liftable tiap, as might be the case were the flap planar throughout its length. This is particularly advantageous where theV interior end casting is employed and a substantial force is, required to break away the plug-like portion.

(4) The wax. plug itself is bonded to theuncoated side of the disc 21, whereas if it were bonded directly to the surface of the liftable iiap it would be bonded against the coated side thereof. lt has been found thatconventional end casting formulations. anchor. muchbetter to. an uncoated b-oard surface than, to a surface coatedV with polyethylene or a vinyl resin. Consequently, the bond between the disc and the plug is stronger thanthat which would be otherwise obtained.

(5.) The disc lying in the pouring opening serves to prevent the end casting material fromowingoutwardly along the inner surface of the liftable flap. Heretofore difficulty has been encountered in maintaining the liftable ap tightly about the peripheryof` the pouring opening.

Modifications may be made in my. invention. without departing from the spiritof it. For example, it is to be understood that the particular carton construction disclosed hereins exemplary only and does not constitute a limitation on my invention. The invention will. find utility in any form of carton construction embodying a pouring opening covered by a liftable. flap member. Similarly, the liftable flap member` need noty be hinged intermediatethe opposite sides of the, disc. Thus, as seen in Figure 11, the liftable ap member 7a may comprise a planar part to which the disc is securedthroughout ius entire area. This form of construction is, of course, somewhat more difficult to open and subject tov peeling at theV interface between the disck and the iiap, although it has been found to be perfectly satisfactory particularly wherethe interior end casting is omitted or. where. it is relatively thin.

Having thus described rnyinvention in an exemplary embodiment, what I desire to secure and protect by ,Letters Patent is:

tion lforming a tubular body, end closure flaps at the ends of said body walls, the closure flaps at one end of said carton body being folded and secured together to provide an essentially at end closure including a full width rst closure ap having a pouring opening dened therein adjacent an edge of said closure flap, said rst pouring opening being defined by a severable disc formed in said rst closure ap, a second closure ap of said last named end closure comprising a liftable flap member overlying said rst closure ap, said liftable ap mem-ber having one end thereof hingedly connected to said last named end closure along a hinge line lying inwardly of said pouring opening, said liftable ap extending from said hinge line outwardly over said disc with its opposite end projecting beyond the edge of said first closure flap adjacent said pouring opening, said liftable flap being of a width suicient to fully cover said disc, a score line eX- tending through said liftable ap in substantially parallel relation to the said hinge line and dividing said liftable ap into an inner base part and an outer tab part, said score line in said liftable flap traversing said disc in chordal relationship thereto and positioned so that a major portion of said disc will underlie the base portion of said liftable flap, said disc being secured to the base portion only of said liftable ap with the outer tab part free from attachment to said disc, whereby to provide a closure means wherein the user may initially grip the end portion of said liftable flap projecting beyond the edge of the end closure and fold said outer tab portion upwardly relative to the base portion of said liftable flap to provide a lifting tab by means of which said severable disc may be removed from said pouring opening by a lifting force exerted at substantially right angles to the plane of said disc.

2. The structure claimed in claim 1 including an interior end casting of sealing substance extending across the end closure of said container, said casting hav-ing a portion thereof bonded to the undersurface of said disc,

whereby upon removal of said disc, a portion of said casting as dened by the periphery of said disc will be broken away to provide an opening through said casting.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,146,226 Punte Feb. 7, 1939 2,272,203 Hothersall Feb. 10, 1942 2,288,914 Monroe July 7, 1942 2,324,807 Wentz July 20, 1943 2,437,114 Moore Mar. 2, 1948 2,555,526 Zinn June 5, 1951 2,583,211 Fleming Jan. 22, 1952 2,615,610 White Oct. 28, 1952 2,719,663 Meyer-Jagenberg Oct. 4, 1955 

